Broken
by Blueheaven8910
Summary: Wanda has spent her entire life bouncing from foster family to foster family. When Wanda finally finds a family that loves her, can she trust them? Or will the family break the already broken Wanda even more?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello fellow fanfictioners! This story is pretty dark and deep and yeah it's one of **_**those **_**stories. **_**THIS STORY MAY TRIGGER! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK! **_** I do not own the Host or these characters. I only own the plot and my own characters.**

**Wanda**

I hear the door open and slam shut. I wipe my sweaty hands on my ratty old jeans and my throat tightens. I pace back and forth in my closet sized room. If I forgot to get something for him he will beat the shit out of me.

"Is my food ready Bitch?" His eyes had a sharp piercing glint, never a good sign.

"Y-yes." I stuttered, looking at my dirty bare feet.

"Then where the hell is it?!" He yells. I quickly run over to the warm oven and take his food out, burning my hands slightly in the process. I wince slightly and I grab a beer for him. I bring him the meal and then run upstairs before he can hit me.

I know his calm won't last. My foster father Liam can go from calm to flipping tables in a second. I know we are running out of money. I try to spend as little money as I can, but her only give me a few hundred dollars to pay the bills and buy the food. Liam owns a ratty old club for protsistutes and old perverted men. Luckily he hasn't asked me to start working for him, but it is only a matter of time. I seek refuge upstairs in my room. My room is actually a clostet at the end of the hall. There's no bed, no windows and the walls are stained yellow. I think they used to be white. I have to curl up at night and use one of my old sweatshirts as a blanket. I have only been in this home for 2 months. And honestly it has been one of the best ones. He hasn't touched me, yet. He has hit me, and locked me in this room, and I have not had anything to eat in a few days but he hasn't touched me intimately. My other foster fathers have though, making me forever afraid of men and people in general.

CRASH! I hear a huge bang come from downstairs

Oh. Shit. I'm going to die.

I run down stairs and I see Liam in handcuffs and the police pulling him out the door. Oh gosh what is going to happen to me? Are they going to send me back to David? Or Jack? No, I refuse. I won't go back to them. Never. I will kill myself before I go back there.

"Excuse me Miss? My head snaps up and I meet the eyes of a police officer. I squeak and jump back. The officer holds his hands. "I am police officer Wes Lewis. Are you being held captive?"

"No." I whisper. "I am his foster child. I have been here for a few months."

"Okay, you are going to need to come down to the station with me. Do you have a social worker?

I nod. "Yes, but I don't have her contact information. She wouldn't care anyways." I mutter the last part. Then I snap my eyes up and glance at Officer Lewis to see if he heard me. I breathe a sigh of relief when I see that he didn't.

He leads me outside and ushers me into a cop car and begins to drive. I couldn't decide if he was being genuine or just trying to fool me. People do that a lot. They trick you into gaining your trust and then they destroy it. People take your trust and slice it till it lays scrambled, impaired and dying on the floor. I study Wes. He looks trustworthy, but I have found I am a horrible judge of character and decide not to trust him at all. He is a man after all. We pull into the station and he climbs out and motions for me to follow. I follow silently into the building. I sit down in one of the chairs try to process what just happened. After thinking for hours about my screwed up life, I slump in my chair and drift off into a coma like sleep.

* * *

**Wes**

"Please Jeb!" I beg my friend. "She is such a sweetheart!"

"Last time you said she was a sweetheart you dropped of a girl and every other word out of her mouth was fuck." Jeb replies.

"But it worked out! You and Trudy are such good foster parents! You also have a medical degree that is extremely helpful for these situations. This girl looks so broken. On the car ride here she did not speak at all. She only spoke early when I had to ask her who she was. She didn't even give me her name."

"So let me get this straight. You found this girl in abandoned looking house and she claims she is the foster child. You don't know anything about her, and you want me to take her in. For all you know she could pregnant and expecting twins. For heaven's sake, she could be a stripper."

"She isn't I stripper. I don't this she would be able to take off her old sweatshirt in front of someone, let alone her take off her underwear!" I sigh into the phone. "Please! It is obvious she has been neglected. I think she has been to multiple foster families that harmed and scarred her.

"Fine! But I am doing this only because you begged like a baby… And maybe I do want to meet the girl." I can hear Jeb grinning into the phone.

"Great!"

"If you like her so much why don't you take her in?" Jeb asks even though he already knows the answer.

"You know how I feel about that. And she probably needs a lot of medical attention and extensive therapy, which I simply can't afford." I sigh. If I had the money, I think I would take this girl in. I don't even know her name though.

"So you're using me for my money!" Jeb screeched.

"Oh don't be so dramatic." I laugh back. "You and I both know you have more money than you know what to do with. Tell you what. I'll try to get all of the information I can get out of her and I will drop her off tomorrow at four pm.

"Fine. See you then." Jeb hung up.

**Okay so this was a shorter chapter and the rest of the chapters in this story will be longer. I will try to update every Wednesday. Follow, favorite, and review! Reviews make me happy!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own the Host or the characters. I only own the plot and the characters I make up.**

**Ian**

I slam my locker shut and start heading towards my class. All of the girls smile at me and wink. I smirk back at them, and they reach down and start fixing their clothes. _Girls._ I sigh in frustration. I look back and I see all of the girls whispering a pointing at people around them. Girls can be so confusing. Either all of them gossip openly to each other, or they pretend they don't care that so-and-so was wearing the ugliest hat when inside they are judging them. I am shaken out of my trance, and I fist bump my best friend Jared. We walk into the class and to sit down in our seats.

I am a Sophomore Picacho Peak High School in Arizona. I am the captain of the varsity soccer team that I have been on since I was a freshman. Jared is the captain of the varsity football team so naturally we rule the school. Jared and I are the first sophomores to be captains of a varsity team at our school, so of course everyone is interested in us. My dad, Jeb, is a doctor, and my mom, Trudy, is real estate agent, so I guess you can call my family rich. Jeb and Trudy aren't my biological parents, they adopted me and my brother when I was six and Kyle was seven. Our parents were kidnapped, and the police stopped looking for them after two years. We were fostered, and Kyle and I were adopted after only six months with Jeb and Trudy. When I was twelve the police told me that they had found my parents, and for one happy moment I thought they would come for us. Then the police officer continues and tells me that they found their bodies in an abandoned hotel. For a few months I was really depressed. Then, Jeb and Trudy told Kyle and me they were adopting again, a girl my age named Melanie. When Melanie first came to us, she was depressed too. But we both got over it together, and now Melanie, Kyle and I are really close.

Melanie started dating Jared a few months ago, and at first I was beyond pissed, but I got over it after I saw how much they liked each other. I want them both to be happy.

Class ends and I start to walk to soccer with one of my other close friends, Jamie. Jamie is Melanie's best friend. Jared, Melanie, Jamie, and I are close as possible. Kyle hangs out with us sometimes but since he is a year older he isn't in our classes. I start to put on my cleats when my phone buzzes.

_**Dad: Come home right after soccer. I need to talk to the family about something.**_

I toss my phone back in my bag. I always go home after soccer. Most of the other guys go out to bars or clubs and get drunk but I hate that stuff. I have never had a sip of alcohol in my life, but that's not what I tell everyone else…

Practice ends and I quickly change in the locker rooms and head home. I am anxious to know what was going on. I tried asking dad but he kept saying I had to wait until everyone was home. I can't stand secrets. The last time dad called the entire family together was when he told Kyle and me about adopting Melanie. I drive as fast as the law allows me. Sometimes I can be super patient, but other times I feel like I could rip the roof off the house if I have to wait another minute. Right now I feel like the latter.

I park my Mercedes in the eight car garage and run inside. I take a deep breath and enter the kitchen calmly, trying to act like I couldn't care less if I got the news now or next month. But on the inside I was freaking out for no reason. Everyone was already sitting at the table chatting, waiting for me.

"Well now that everyone is here, we can start. Trudy and I are considering taking in another foster child. She is fifteen and would be a sophomore. I have read her file and I think we could really help her. She has been in several different foster homes and her most recent foster father was arrested for selling… women..." Dad grimaces and looks uncomfortable for a few moments. "Wes picked her up and thinks she would benefit from living with us. I don't want to go into detail, but Wes believes she was abused. I will know the extent of the abuse once I see her though. So, what do you all think?" Jeb and Trudy stare us down, measuring our reactions.

"Yes." Is all Mel says. I snap my head up and look at her. I thought she would be the last to agree. Now she won't be the only "Daddy's girl" or mom's "Shopping Buddy".

"I think we should take her in. We have enough room. She doesn't deserve to have to go back to another bad foster home." I don't even realize I start talking until I finish. Wow. I don't even know this girl but I already feel an overwhelming sense of protection for her.

Kyle agrees excitedly too. "Yeah! I'm gonna' have another little sister to screw with!" He laughs and rubs Melanie's head, messing up her hair. I laugh. Melanie and Kyle are always teasing each other and having petty fights. But we all know it's just rues.

Dad clears his throat, stopping Melanie from having a chance to yell at Kyle for ruining her hair. "Kyle, I don't think it's going to be like that." He whispers and we all lean in, straining to hear him. He looks up and meets all of our eyes, speaking in a louder voice. "From what Wes has said, the girl doesn't talk. She is extremely shy and has no confidence. She is afraid of men, and well, people in general. But we have to go along and pretend like we don't notice and it's normal. Just help her and give her compliments and she will hopefully get better. Like Ian said, this girl deserves a loving home." Dad looks at all of us carefully, trying to burn the message in our minds.

"Why do you keep saying 'the girl'? What's her name?" Melanie jumps in.

"We don't know. The only thing the girl has done since Wes found her was tell him she was a foster child. And, according to Wes, stare at the floor and flinch occasionally. This girl is broken. But we can try to help her. I don't know if Wes was exaggerating, but I guess we will find out tomorrow. Wes is bringing her over at four so I want you all here, okay?" Everyone agrees and start to disperse. I want to keep talking about the girl, but it is obvious it is killing dad for him to not know more about this girl. Dad really likes to fix things, but I have a feeling this girl doesn't just need some therapy and a Band-Aid. She needs love and a safe place.

**I will update the next chapter on Sunday. If I get a lot of reviews I might update early though! Please review and tell me what you think so far so I can decide if I want to continue this story. Follow, favorite, and review! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Clarification: Italics are flashbacks. Wanda's parents died when she was young so she doesn't know love. She was sent to live with Jack. He hated her so she went to David. Then she ended up with Liam, and Liam was just arrested, so now she is at the police station waiting for a new foster home. More information about Wanda's past will emerge throughout the story. Of course I would like to remind you that I don't own the Host, just the plot. Enjoy!**

**Wanda**

I wake up sweating and on the cold floor. I flinch violently. Oh no_._ I moan silently. Did Liam lock me in the closet again? Oh my gosh! Did David or Jack take advantage of me again?My breathing picks up and I begin to rock back and forth, looking around franticly. My heart rate slows down slightly when I realize I don't recognize this place. At least my old foster fathers didn't take me back. I rack my brain, looking for an answer, a memory that would tell me why I was sleeping on this cold concrete floor.

I sigh slightly when it all comes back. _'__"Is my food ready Bitch?"' __'__"I am police officer Wes Lewis. Are you being held captive?"' '"Okay, you are going to need to come down to the station with me. Do you have a social worker?"' _Liam was caught. He was arrested. Now I am at the police station and I am going to be put into another foster home.

No! I yell inside my head. I will not go back to another fucked up foster home. I will not be used as a slave and beaten. I will get out. I smile victoriously for a few seconds, but then the depressing part of my brain argues back. I don't get put in messed up foster homes. I make them messed up. If I weren't such a screw up then maybe I would be loved. It's my fault. If I weren't so hopeless, I wouldn't have met David or Liam. I would have stayed with my first foster father, Jack. He would be my father and we would be happy. My dark side beats the miniscule, hopeful part of my brain and I am engulfed in sadness. I am worthless.

My thoughts are interrupted when the door next to me bangs open and hits the wall. I scream, but quickly cover my mouth. Screaming is a sign of weakness. A big shadow stands in the doorway. It looks so much like David, my second foster father. My breath catches and my eyes glaze over.

_The door to my bedroom slams open, waking me from my coma- like slumber. A shadow stands in the doorway, practically jumping up and down in excitement._

"_Are you ready for me?" David smiles evilly and slowly makes his way over to me. I stiffen as he sits on the edge of my bed and starts rubbing my feet…hard. The only reason I have a big bedroom and big bed for once is because David wanted to have "plenty of room" as he liked to say. "Tonight is going to be fun, huh? I don't have work tomorrow so that means I get to sit here at home and watch you struggle to walk and do your cleaning."_

_I shake at the sly comment about it being hard to walk. I already know what he is going to do to me, but I don't want to know how bad he wants this to be. David abruptly stops rubbing my feet and starts taking off his clothes slowly, torturing me. Breathe! I tell myself. Get oxygen to your brain. You can do this. Just go numb. I begin to shut down and leave this world. One by one I start to turn off my senses. I vaguely feel David slapping me and taking off my clothes, but I'm so far out of it that it feels like a light caress. Ha, who would want to caress me? Give me love? I am ugly. I am worthless. I am only on this earth still because I make a good servant._

"Hey! Hey calm down! It's okay." I am shaken out of my painful thoughts by Wes standing over me and shaking me. I jump and scream, trying not to be afraid.

Wes jumps back too and puts his hands behind his back. "I'm sorry. It's just that you were hyperventilating and having a panic attack or something, so I thought I should try to snap you out of it. Are you okay?" Wes says quickly.

I look up at him, confused. Maybe Wes actually is kind. No! People lie. Don't let yourself for fall their tricks. I look back down and look at my feet.

"Um… Could you tell me your name?" Wes asked as nicely as possible. I stare back once again, debating whether or not I want to confide in him. Gosh! I laugh at myself. I think confiding in someone is telling them my name. I defiantly don't trust anyone.

I take a deep breath and look at the ground. "Wanda." I mumble. I glance up toward Officer Lewis to make sure he heard it. He meets by eyes for a second, smiling.

"Well Wanda, I have a surprise for you." I flinch. "I found you a new foster home." I start to tremble. "Oh no, Wanda! Seriously they are really nice! They have already fostered three children and they have all been adopted. Jeb Stryder is a doctor and Trudy Stryder is a real estate agent. They have a big house and more money than they know what to do with. They were excited when I told them about you."

I know Wes was trying to make me feel better, but I wish he wouldn't. Nothing can make me feel better. I am going to a new foster home. A new home that is a family of five! I have only ever had one foster brother whom was David's son and he raped me with David sometimes. I don't think I can handle five monsters.

"So do you want to go? We can move you in today if you want." Wes added carefully.

I nodded passively. "It's not like I have a choice. You will kill me if I don't go." I mutter under my breath. I gasp and look up at Officer Lewis. Thank God he didn't hear me. Ha. Did I really just thank God? I don't believe in him. If he exists and is as forgiving as everyone says I should be out of my situation by now. God doesn't help me. I am all alone.

"Okay then. Let's go!" Wes smiles.

**I am sorry these chapters are somewhat short. They will get longer once Wanda meets the Stryders. Wanda will meet them in the next chapter! As you can tell, Wanda has a pretty messed up life. But the reason I kept this story rated T is because I won't put all the gory details into a flashback. I will try to keep it as vague as possible. Please follow, favorite, and review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I am sorry I didn't update Wednesday, but it **_**was**_** Christmas. I do promise that I will update every Wednesday and Saturday.**

I get into Officer Lewis's car carefully. What if he just drives away and keeps me in his house, and uses me? I shake those thoughts out of my head. Wes has been nothing but nice to me. He tried to help me when I had my panic attack. He even gave me food which is something that my three asshole "fathers" basically never did. Maybe he is not that bad. Maybe I can trust him.

"You can choose a radio station." Wes smiles at me. I leave it off. I have never really heard music before. All of my foster fathers hated music because it was really loud. I never really played it that loud; it was just because they were hung over, which they were most days.

We drive for one hour, silence pervading the car. Wes attempts to start a conversation, but I don't say anything. I don't like to talk, for my foster families have taught me never to talk back. Their punishments burn in my mind and I try to think of something happier. I have been having trouble thinking of happy thoughts lately though. _"You don't deserve happiness". _I wince as I hear my first foster father's voice. Jack was different from my other fathers. He didn't rape me like David. He didn't use me as a servant like Liam. He experimented on me. Jack pushed me to my limits; see how long it would take me to break. He was the worst of all my fathers.

"Wanda, we are here." I want to scream. I don't want to go. I don't want another family that is going to torture me. I look around carefully, memorizing where the doors and windows are. I always make an escape route at my new foster houses. Of course none of my plans have ever worked, but it is worth a shot. I sigh passively and get out of the car.

Wes leads me up to the door. The house was bigger than all of my old foster houses together. He knocks loudly and I wince. The door is thrown open and a woman stood smiling at me. She was average height with tan skin and short curly black hair. She had warm brown eyes and a large white smile.

"Hello! I am Trudy, your new foster mom!" Wow she was peppy. She must be pretending to be excited while Wes is here. "Do you have any bags with you?" Trudy spoke quieter but her voice was still sweet and caring.

I shake my head and look down. Say something! Respond! I yell at myself. "No I don't have anything." My voice is hoarse from my lack of talking. I see Wes's eyes widen out of the corner of my eye. He must be surprised that I can talk. I only talk when I am spoken to and absolutely have to respond.

Trudy smiles at me sadly. Why? It's my fault I don't own anything. I didn't work hard enough to get money. Also, I move from foster family to foster family a lot so it is hard to keep things. "Oh, well come in." Trudy pulls the door open wider. I gasp slightly.

The house is huge! There is a big living room to my right. In front of me in the back of the house is the largest kitchen I have ever seen. A grand staircase, dining room, and game room are on my left. I can see a large pool in the backyard through one of the kitchen windows. I can't imagine what the upstairs looks like!

I wonder if they will want to be to clean the entire house, because it looks like it would take me forever to finish.

I follow Trudy shyly into the kitchen. "This is my husband, Jeb." My heart beat quickened. Jeb didn't move. He just smiled kindly at me. What is with these people and kindness?!

"Hello Wanda. I am Jeb, you new foster father." I wince slightly at the words and Jeb notices. "Wanda, I know you don't believe us right now, but we don't want to hurt you. There will be no forms of physical punishment in this house. This family won't be like your other families. We care about you and we want you to be happy."

He's right. I don't believe him. Happiness is something I have never experienced. I don't think I ever will. Despite my feelings, I smiles at him politely and continue to look around the kitchen. My breath catches when I spot the knives next to the sink. I try to control my breathing. Don't worry Wanda! All houses need cutlery. It's not like they can use a spoon to cut up their food.

My breathing goes back to normal and I smiley proudly at myself. Usually I can't control my panic attacks, but I have been practicing. I don't want the Stryders to know just how messed up I am yet.

"My children should be home from school in a few minutes." Trudy says happily. Oh hell no! There are three things seriously wrong with that! One is the fact that I am soon going to be in a house with six people, only one of them I have known for more than a day and I bet Wes will leave soon. Two is school! I have never gone to school. My foster fathers wanted me home to clean so they told the social services I would be homeschooled. Of course they never taught me anything though. I had to teach myself how to read, write, and do basic math so I could cook, pay the bills, and do the shopping. Three is the people! I am only 5 feet tall (152 centimeters) and 60 pounds (27 kilograms). I am very short for a fifteen year old and I am severely underweight thanks to my fathers. I will get pushed around and people will touch me. I won't be able to last ten minutes!

I snap back into reality at the sound of the front door opening. "Mom, Dad we're home!" I hear a deep voice yell. Oh God he is loud. Then I hear three pairs of feet walk toward the kitchen. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. I can't do this.

The three of them stop in the doorway. The girl steps forward. "Hi! You must be Wanda. I am Melanie, your new foster sister!" Melanie smiles and takes a few more steps towards me, opening her arms like she wants a hug. I stumble back, terrified. I feel myself starting to tremble and I try to control my panic attack again. Memories of blinding pain flood through my head and I squeeze my eyes shut.

"I am not there. They are gone. I will live." I mumble under my breath. I start to slow my breathing but my heart still pounds. I look around the room to see if anyone else can hear my heart. I meet the worried eyes of my new family. Wait. Did I just say worried? I look again. It can't be worry they are feeling. It must be anger at me for refusing a hug from Melanie.

"I am so sorry. I will hug you if you want me too. I didn't mean to reject you. Just please don't hurt me." I whimper. Everyone stares at me. What did I do this time? I groan internally.

"Sweetheart, it is fine! You don't have to hug Melanie if you don't want to! We will never hurt you!" Trudy fawns over me.

"We won't touch you if you want. Do you want us to stay at least five feet away?" Jeb says in a doctoral and fatherly tone. I don't know what they want me to say. Is this meant to test my loyalty or something? I look around frantically. I quickly make up my mind when I see their expectant faces.

I shake my head. "No it is fine." I force a smile. Someone clears their throat and I look up.

"Um, hi. I am Ian and this is Kyle. We are you new foster brothers." Ian says carefully. I look at them. Ian and Kyle must be biological brothers because they look so much alike. Ian is tall and slender. I could see his muscles hidden under his long sleeve shirt and I wince slightly. He has messy black hair and the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen. Snow, sapphire, and ink. His smile lights up his face and I decide I want to see it again. I slide my eyes over to look at Kyle and start to tremble slightly. Kyle is a little shorter and stockier than Ian. Unlike his brother, Kyle purposely shows off his alarming amount of muscle. He has the same hair as Ian and his eyes are the same color. They don't show as much compassion and caring as Ian, but he still looks nice enough.

I stop trembling as soon as I realized I was. I don't want them to think I am weak. "So, Wanda, what do you want for dinner?" My eyes widen.

"I can make a lot of things! Just tell me what you want." I say quietly. I have been taught not to talk to loud in case my foster father was drunk.

"Oh no. I want you to choose what is for dinner. I will make it for you." I stare at her confused. I feel myself start to blush as I look around the room and see everyone staring at me. My eyes dart around the room again. Where is Wes?! Did Officer Lewis just leave while I was distracted? How could he leave me with these people!

I start to hyperventilate. I don't know what these people want. I hate when I don't know what people want. "Oh." I say in short gasps. "Don't worry I am not hungry." I gulp. I can't eat around other people. Then it is one more thing they can take away. Trudy's eyes widen and she looks over my shoulder at someone. I spin around in a flash and I almost scream. Jeb is standing right behind me, trying to calm me down. I see his lips moving but I can't hear him. My hands shake and my head pounds.

I am slipping away. I can't stop this panic attack. I am already gone. I stumble around, black spotting my vision. I move blindly move around. I have to get out of this house. I can't breathe. There is no air. My chest tightens. My jaw clenches and there is a knot in my stomach. When I bump into someone and feel their arms tighten around my body. I scream and fall to the ground, wincing in pain as the memories burn my mind.

"_Hello Wanda!" My new foster father David smiles. I sigh in relief. I was so afraid he was going to be like Jack and hurt me. David seems sweet. I don't trust him completely yet, but I am sure we can get along okay._

"_Hi." I smile slightly. I am afraid of most men thanks to Jack. He liked to remind me that men are the dominate species and they will hurt me if I disobey them. I am broken, but I can be healed._

_David opens the door wider and smiles at my social worker. My social worker takes that as a good sign and starts to leave. David closes the door and spins around in a flash. "You are mine. You will do whatever I want, whenever I want, however I want." I finch back. No, no, no, no. He is like Jack. Maybe not as bad, but I don't think I will be able to survive anymore abuse._

"_Go upstairs, take off your clothes, and wait for me. I will come up later. Tears well up in my eyes. I am twelve so I know what he is going to do. I had been with Jack from age three until yesterday, and he has never touched me like that. He would often say I was too ugly to be loved and no one would want to see my fat body._

_I stand and stare at David. I don't know what to do. David slaps me. "Move bitch! Do as you are told." I run upstairs and slowly take off my clothes. I leave my underwear on and sit on the bed. Tears fall down my face and my body shakes with sobs. The door to the bedroom bangs open and I jump._

"_Why do you still have clothes on? I told you to listen to me and do as I say!" David punches me and scratches me as he takes of my last piece of protection. He stares at my body in dismay. He touches one of my scares and I flinch. "Did I tell you to move? I own you now!" David screams in my face. Tears run down my face even harder now and I can't breathe without choking slightly._

_David smiles wickedly and I scream a horrified scream I wither and shake, trying to get away. He just holds me down and ignores my screams. David took away my virginity at age twelve, and continued to use me every day. I only got away because David suddenly disappeared my fifteenth birthday and didn't come back. The social worker came back and sent me to live with Liam._

**I know I said I would try to keep the flashbacks vague, but this one I had to go a bit more in depth. Below I am going to explain again about the foster fathers and how old Wanda is and stuff because I don't want you to be confused :) Please follow, favorite, and review!**

**Ages 1-3 Wanda lived with her family**

**Her family dies so ages 3-12 she lives with Jack**

**Jack gets rid of her so ages 12-14 she lives with David **

**David disappeared so ages 14-15 she lives with Liam**

**Liam is arrested so she lives with the Stryders. But for how long? ;) **


	5. Chapter 5

**I am so sorry I didn't update last Wednesday! But I have an excuse! I think I might be going crazy. I had this chapter all written and ready to go so I transferred it into my docs manager. Then I think I just went crazy and completely forgot that I had to update and put the chapter up. So today when I went to upload chapter 6, I found chapter 5. I have gone crazy I swear. Anyways, here is chapter 5:\**

* * *

**Ian's P.O.V.**

I wait for Kyle and Melanie after school. We are skipping our after school stuff because we have to get home. We are meeting Wanda today, and to be honest I am excited. This girl sounds like she went through a lot so she must be very interesting to talk too. Mel and Kyle get into my BMW and I drive home.

We don't really talk during the car ride. We are all wondering the same thing. What is Wanda going to be like? Is she going to be whiny and use her abuse to make us feel bad for her? Is she going to be shy and scared like Dad said? How much abuse did this girl actually get?

We park in our six car garage and walk towards the door. We see Officer Lewis's car outside, so Wanda must be here all ready. Kyle opens the door and yells "Mom, Dad we're home!" We have been entering the house like that every day for as long as I can remember. We walk into the kitchen and Melanie, Kyle, and I stop in the doorway and stare.

I see Mom and Dad standing next to the kitchen counter. Wes is standing by the sliding glass door that leads to the pool. I look around for Wanda, and then I realize she is hiding behind Wes slightly. Gosh she is small and skinny. She is beautiful though. Her tiny frame looks graceful, and she stands slight on her toes; she is ready to make a quick getaway. She has long blonde hair that falls in soft curls. Her eyes are a mesmerizing blue, but they are slightly dull and dart around a lot. I look closer at her pale skin and see it is dotted with bruises, cuts, and scars. Oh god. I examine her again, and I see that she is wearing a child's sweatshirt that is large on her and a pair of leggings. I see what Dad was saying. Wanda really does have no confidence. She covered as much of her body as she could. Wanda clenches her arms to the side and hunches her shoulders. It looks like she is trying to fold herself in a box and be as small as possible.

I am snapped out of my daze when Melanie steps forward. "Hi! You must be Wanda. I am Melanie, your new foster sister!" Melanie tries to hug Wanda. Melanie has become a hugger recently. Sometimes she hugs strangers because she claims it makes everyone happier. Kyle and I just think Melanie is crazy and making all that crap up.

Wanda stumbles back and begins to tremble. She closes her eyes and begins to mumble under her breath. I try to hear what she is saying but I can only pick up a few words. I try to hide my shock. Wanda is _really _afraid of people if a hug caused that reaction.

"I am so sorry. I will hug you if you want me too. I didn't mean to reject you like that. Just please don't hurt me!" I stare at Wanda in shock. Her voice is sweet and quiet, but the pain and terror in it scares me. This girl really is broken.

My Mom and Dad start trying to console Wanda. I decide that I want to get to know Wanda. I want to know what happened to make her like this. I clear my throat and start to talk.

"Um, hi. I am Ian and this is Kyle. We are you new foster brothers." I try to speak calmly so prevent scaring her. I watch her as she quickly looks at me and winces slightly. My chest tightens. She must be scared of me. She glances at Kyle and starts to tremble. I feel an overwhelming sense of protection rush over me. It must be because she is my new sister.

The silence stretched on as I waited for her to say something. Once Mom realized Wanda wasn't going to respond, she started talking to her.

"So, Wanda, what do you want for dinner?" Wanda's eyes widen and I can't help but wonder what is so scary about dinner.

Wanda starts to mumble quietly again. She talks so fast I have to lean in to try to understand what she is saying. "I can make a lot of things! Just tell me what you want." I look at her confused. She wanted to cook for us? Mom starts to tell her that she was going to cook and Wanda looks so confused.

Wanda's ocean blue eyes dart around the room, her face reddening and her eyes opening even wider. I glance around and realize Wes left. He must have left while I was introducing myself. I look back at Wanda and my heart breaks. She is shaking and hyperventilating. Wanda tries to tell us she is not hungry and my jaw drops. I look closer at Wanda again and I realize how skinny she actually is. It looks like she could be blown away with the wind.

Dad slowly walks towards Wanda from behind. I don't know what he is trying to accomplish, but the effect was disastrous. Wanda whips around and screams. The scream was full of so much terror and pain that I was scared. Who could hurt such a gentle girl so much to make her like this?

Dad is trying to tell Wanda to take slow deep breathes but she doesn't respond. "She can't hear me!" Dad yells to us. "She is having a panic attack!" Melanie tries to go and help Wanda but Kyle holds her back. Kyle had a panic attack when we were younger when we heard about our parents, so he knows how to prevent one. Physical contact during a panic attack is a bad idea, especially for someone like Wanda.

Mom and Dad are speaking in calming tones to Wanda but it doesn't even seem like she can see or hear them now. Wanda starts to run aimlessly around the room and I am afraid she will hit something. I try to ask my dad what to do when I feel something hit my chest. On instinct, I wrap my arms around Wanda to prevent her from falling. Wanda screams again and squirms. I let her go in a flash and she falls on the ground, crying and wincing. There is nothing we can do. Dad tells us to just speak in calming tones assuring her that she is safe and wait for the panic attack to end.

Every scream. Every flinch. Every cry in pain. Every time Wanda begs someone to help her breaks my heart even more.

**So this was kind of a filler chapter. But I promise, in the next chapters you will get to see Wanda interact with the family members and see the relationships that evolve! Please follow, favorite, and review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I am sorry I didn't update Wednesday. I am sorry to say that for the next few weeks I will only update Saturdays. I have a lot going on with school and midterms are coming up. Right now it is midnight so tecniclly I am updating this Sunday so I am sorry about that too. I wrote this chapter then I realized things were moving way to fast so I had to go back and cut out a part that I really liked. But I think I am going to in later. Anyways, chapter 6:**

**Wanda's P.O.V.**

How long does a second span? In the time that the physicists have measured, it is defined as the oscillations of a cesium atom. But for me, it became a moment that stretched into infinity. An infinite amount of pain was conducted in an infinite measurement of time.

I feel my body stop shaking, and slowly my senses return to me. I can feel myself lying on the cold tiled floor curled up into the fetal position. I can feel sweat coating my body. Fresh tears run over the old, dried tears, caressing my cheeks and dripping onto the ground. I can feel burning sensations in my chest, weakness all over, and I feel so fatigued I can't even stand.

"Wanda?"

"You are okay."

"No one will hurt you anymore."

"We will keep you safe."

"I love you."

My dull gray eyes cautiously look up and meet Trudy's warm brown ones. She was the one who said she loved me. My nervous, untrusting mind is telling me not to believe her, but my broken heart yearns to be loved. No one has ever told me they loved me. I assume my parents did, but they died when I was three, so I don't remember.

I begin to sit up and Jeb tells everyone to give me room. I look at him gratefully. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to freak out like that. You all have been so nice. I am sorry I ruined this… I ruin everything." I whisper to the floor, to afraid to look up.

"Oh sweetheart! You didn't ruin anything. We care about you, and we want to help." I know Trudy is trying to make me feel better, but I can't just forget everything that has happened to me and love this family. I can't love. I don't know how.

I just shake my head and quickly wipe away a tear that slips out of my puffy eyes. I don't look at them. If I look at them and see angry faces I might just have a panic attack. But if I see compassion and love on their faces, I might just fall for the tricks. I refuse to let myself listen to these people. Everyone lies, especially to me. Social workers and therapists try to tell me I am safe or I am worth it. But that's the thing about lying. The worst thing about being lied to is knowing you aren't worth the truth.

The Stryders realize I am not going to answer. "Ian, why don't you go show Wanda her room." Jeb says to Ian. Jeb then turns to his attention to me. "Maybe you would feel better to be alone in a safe place for a little bit." I shrug. I don't care what is going to happen. The end is inevitable.

Ian clears his throat. "Sure. Um, follow me Wanda." I don't want to. But I do anyway. Who knows what will happen to me if I don't obey?

I follow Ian out of the kitchen and back toward the main hallway. Ian looks back and smiles slightly at me before going up stairs. I blush slightly and spin my blonde locks around my finger nervously. I look at the pictures as I go up the stair with Ian. There are a few picture of Jeb and Trudy alone, but most of the pictures are of their adoptive family. There are a lot of pictures of Ian and Kyle when they were younger, and a few more recent ones that include Melanie. So I must have been right in assuming Kyle and Ian are actually related. It is obvious they were adopted when they were young, so I wonder what happened to their parents.

I glance up and I realize Ian is waiting for me at the top of the stairs. Oh my. Ian must think I am so weird for stopping in the middle of the stairs to stare at his family pictures. I look at Ian again and he gives me a smile that just seems so genuinely sweet with just the right touch of shyness that unexpected warmth rushes through me.

I ignore the feeling and continue up the stairs. Ian flicks on the hallway light and shows me the rooms. On the left side of the stairs is Kyle's room and on the right side is Ian's. Across the hall from Kyle's room is Melanie's, and at the end of the hall is Jeb and Trudy's room.

"This is you room." Ian says, point to the room to the right of Melanie's and across from his. "It used to be the guest room, but I mom and Melanie decorated it the day they heard about you. They are really excited that you are here… we all are." Ian whispers the last part sincerely. I smile slightly and force myself to look him in the eyes.

When my eyes meet his blue ones I hear his slight intake in breath. I look at him curiously. Why was he so surprised to see my eyes? They are nothing special. They are big and gray; the blue they held when I was younger has slowly been washed out with my tears.

Ian looks away and opens the door to my room. I gasp and look at him sadly. He turns back around with a smile on his face that quickly disappears when he sees my face. Now I feel worse for making him frown. His smile is so beautiful; I wish it would never go away. Oh God, don't cry Wanda! Don't be weak!

"I'm sorry. It's just that I don't appreciate you lying to me." I mutter. I can't look into his eyes again.

"What?" Ian says confused.

"This can't be my room. It is decorated. And look at how big it is! I can't accept this." The truth is, I want to accept it, very badly. I just don't think I would be able to stand them taking it away. The day the Stryders realize how worthless I really am will be the day my heart really does break.

"No, Wanda this is your room. Melanie and my mom decorated it for you. You are part of this family now. And you deserve this room. We weren't even using it anyway, so by accepting this room you are actually doing us a favor."

I wonder if I know I won't be able to refuse helping these people. If what he says is true, I must take this room. "Okay, I will take the room." I mutter and step inside.

**So this is kind of a bad ending but I have to go to bed. I would like to say thank you to everyone who reviewed! I would especially like to thank Unexplainable Awesomeness who has reviewed for each chapter. And I also want to say thank you to the guest who posted this review: "****Oh my gosh I love this story. I've checked every day since your last update, at least twice a day, to see if you've updated, and was always sad when I saw you hadn't. But when I saw this update I was so excited I almost shrieked! This story is so great and I can't wait to see where it goes because it has so much potential! You're doing a great job writing this and I'm so excited for the rest of the story. Keep up the great work and keep being awesome!" It means so much. So please review for this chapter I might just update before next Saturday! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Your reviews are so sweet. I love you all!**

**Wanda's P.O.V.**

I gasp. Holy. Shit. This. Can't. Be. My. Room. I turn around a look at Ian. The corners of his mouth are tilted up into a smirk, and he presses his lips together to contain his laughter.

"Do you promise you are not lying to me? This really is my room? I was expecting a closet and maybe a blanket." I mutter to the ground. I can't look him in the eyes again after his reaction. Why did he gasp when I looked at him? Why is he being so nice?

"I promise this is your room. I swear on my life. But if you want to change it I'm sure Mel and my mom would be happy to help you redecorate.

I can't believe I am about to believe a promise. "Pinky swear?" I shrug and suggest quietly. He laughs and takes my small pinky in his.

"Pinky swear." He smiles again. Oh my.

I take a deep breath and step inside th- _my _new room. It is gorgeous. The walls are painted blue. A desk is next to the door and next to the desk is another door, which I'm guessing leads to the bathroom. A queen size bed covered in cream colored silk sheets sits across from the door. A chic looking couch is in the corner of the room besides one of the two floor length windows. Through the cream colored shear curtains I can see the swimming pool in the backyard. Hanging from this ceiling is crystal chandelier that catches the light from the windows and reflects a rainbow of colors across my walls.

I walk farther into the room and see two large doors near the bed. I open the doors and jump back. I hear Ian chuckle, and he follows me into the room. I cautiously enter the walk in closet. Dresses and sweaters hang on two walls the closet, while the third wall across from the door is dedicated to shoes. Boots, heals, sneakers, and every other type of shoe I can think of line the shelves, color-coded. Drawers overflow filled with pants and shirts in every color, and purses hang in the corners.

"Oh Ian. I can't accept this. The room is one thing, but this! These clothes must have cost millions of dollars! I really do appreciate this, but I can't take all this expensive stuff."

"Wanda, shhhh. Don't worry. Melanie picked out all of these clothes and stuff for you. She loves shopping, so she went a little overboard when my mom asked her to buy some clothes for you. I think she assumed half of the stuff wouldn't fit you or you wouldn't like it…" Ian trails off and looks me up and down, measuring my height.

"Actually, I think _a lot _of this stuff won't fit you." Ian jokes.

What am I doing?! I don't joke with people! I don't talk to people! But I can't help it. I feel semi-comfortable around someone for once. Of course I will still fall apart if he touches me, but this whole time he has stayed five feet away. I know Jeb suggested he should, and I am really thankful for that. It also doesn't hurt that Ian has been so nice to me today.

"Should I j-just pick out the things that I like?" God, why did I have to stutter? I stutter when I am nervous, so I guess all my thinking has made me worries Ian will betray me. There I go. Ruining things, like always!

"Sure. But maybe you should settle in a little bit first. Do you have any clothes of your own? Do you have anything to wear to bed, or something that might remind you of home?" Ian says sweetly.

I flinch, hard. Home. No, don't think about it. I am not there. I am safe. I am with Ian. I am in my new room.

"I am so so _so_ sorry! Oh Wanda I am really sorry. I can't believe I did that! Idiot." He scolds himself quietly.

I take a deep, calming breath. "Don't worry about it. And no, I don't have any clothes or anything." I look at the floor. I don't want to see Ian's pitying face.

"Oh. Well… um…" Ian digs through the drawers. "Oh here we go!" He hands me some sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Good. Long sleeves. That will save me a lot of explaining about the thin scars that I cut all the way up my forearm.

I wait silently for him to leave. He steps into my room while I stay in the closet. He nods at me. What?! There is now way in hell I will change with him just outside the door! He could fling open the doors and attack me while I am changing.

I look at him with wide eyes and he nods again in understanding. Ian walks into the hall, shutting the door on the way out. I quickly lock my bedroom door then run into my closet to change.

I take off my thin pair of leggings, and my ratty child's size sweatshirt. I had found it when I was three, back when I was still living happily with my parents. It was in a hand-me-down box my mom had, and I loved it so much I wore it even though it basically fell to the floor. Luckily, I grew into it. Good thing I wore the sweatshirt the day of the day parents died, or else I might not have anything.

A single, salty tear falls from my eye before I can stop it. Even though I was three, I remember that day clearly. My family was the beach. My mommy brought my sweatshirt because she planned on staying until dark and she wanted me to have some pajamas. But they didn't make it until night fall.

My parents left my in a little beach play group and they went swimming. The both swam out too far and got caught in a rip tide. They were forced underwater and where tossed around like rag dolls until they died. I still remember my three year old self sitting on the beach sobbing when I realized I couldn't see mommy and daddy in the water. I remember dying inside when people told me they couldn't find them.

People asked me if I wanted to go home and get some things. I took my mom's locket and then walked back out. I couldn't bare to be alone in that house any longer. Even at three years old I knew exactly what death was. A few days afterward, I was sent to leave with my first foster father Jack. And that's when the pain started.

I finish getting dressed, and tears run down my face. I sit in the corner of my closet and sob. I don't want to be here. I want to be with my parents. I would give anything to see them one more time. I want to have my daddy pick me up and twirl me around. I want to hug my mommy, and smell her perfume as she run her hands through my hair like she used to.

My sobs are loud but I don't care. I was never scared to die at my foster homes. I was scared I would keep living. I knew that death would reunite me with my parents. But none of my foster fathers managed to kill me. And I hate them for it.

**Please review and tell me what you think! By the way, I based Wanda's room off Blair Waldorf's room in Gossip Girl. I have pictures in my profile if you want to see her room and closet.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Wanda**

I sit there quietly. I wrap my arms tightly around legs in a hug, hoping to comfort myself. My body rocks back and forth, and my cheeks are stained with the endless stream of tears from my glossy eyes. I take a deep, rattling breath and try to endure the pain that engulfs me.

My hand slowly reaches for my mom's locket that I have worn around my neck since the day they died. I run my thumb and forefinger up and down the chain, feeling the broken links I tried to fix. My foster fathers would sometimes rip it off just to torture me; Jack even strangled me with it once. But I am not afraid of wearing it. It is the only thing I really love in this world.

I hear a faint knocking on the door. A sob rips through my body once again and my chest aches. I take another deep breath and wipe my puffy eyes. It is obvious I was crying. My eyes are bloodshot, my face blotchy, and I could smell the faint trace of the salty tears on my new pajamas.

I stand up and walk slowly to the door. "Who is it?" I whisper through the closed door. My voice is hoarse and it cracks slightly.

"It's Ian. Wanda, may I please come in?" No. He can't see me like this. He already saw one of my panic attacks. He doesn't have to see my ugly crying face.

"Actually Ian, I am really tired so I think I am just going to go to bed… if that's okay with you."

"Oh." I can hear something in Ian's voice. He knows I was crying. God, I always ruin everything. "Um, yeah that's fine. Would you like someone to wake you up in the morning?"

Ha, no. I would ever let anyone near me while I was sleeping; while I am defenseless and vulnerable. "No thank you. I like to wake myself up in the morning." That's a lie. I always wake up to someone yelling at me.

"Okay. We have breakfast at nine. Do you eat breakfast? What would you like?

"Well I will see you at nine then." Lie. I am going to hide as soon as possible. "Yes, I do eat breakfast." Another lie. "And I will eat anything really." Lies. It's all lies.

"See you in the morning, Wanda. Goodnight." I hear him going down stairs, his footsteps slowly fading until I can't hear them anymore.

"Goodnight, Ian." I whisper to the empty door. The door that I plan on keep locked as much as possible.

I sigh and walk towards the bathroom connected to my room. I can't even be surprised when I see the gorgeous bathroom. God, these people have enough money to end world hunger.

I turn on the cold water and splash some on my face, washing away the salty residue. I lift up my shirt slightly to look at the bruises. _My _bruises. The scars. _My _scars. Sometimes this doesn't even feel like my body. I feel like I was inserted into this body and this isn't really my life. These memories _can't_ be mine.

I poke my yellowing bruises, and put some cold water on my purple ones. I hear the door knob rattle and Melanie enters before I can put my shirt down.

She gasps loudly. "Wanda!" I look at her with wide eyes. I dash back to my room and lock that door too.

Idiot! I scold myself. Melanie and I share a bathroom! Why didn't I think to lock the door? Why don't I _think_?!

"Wanda, I am so sorry. I should have knocked first. I am just so used to having this bathroom all to myself. I forgot someone else could be in here!" Of course, another thing I messed up. Now Melanie has to share the bathroom with me. Dirty, annoying me. I don't respond. Mel says she is sorry one more time then walks back into her room.

I crawl into my bed, and I pull the soft blankets up to my face. I leave the lights dimmed. There are too many things you can't see when the lights are out. I fall asleep before my head even hits the pillow.

* * *

**Ian**

I walk away from Wanda's room. It broke my heart to hear her cry like that. She was in so much pain. I walk down the stairs and into the living room. "Can we have a family meeting? " I ask my dad. He nods curtly.

Dad, mom, Kyle, and I gather into the living room. I glance around. "Where is Mel?"

"She is upstairs. She will be back down in a sec-" My mom is interrupted by a quick scream and a slamming door. I can hear the desperation in my sister's voice as she apologizes profusely to Wanda. I groan internally. What happened now?

After a minute or two, Melanie slowly makes her way downstairs. She sniffs and wipes away a tear that spilled over from her watering eyes.

"Mel, sweetie, what happened?" My mom comforts Melanie.

"Is Wanda okay?" My dad asks, switching into doctor mode.

"She's fine… I think." Melanie whispers the last part so quietly that I have to lean in to hear.

"What do you mean 'I think'? Is okay or not?" Kyle snaps before I can. He glances at me and I can see the fierce protection he has for Wanda. Wanda has us all wrapped around her small little fingers after only a few hours.

"I walked into the bathroom on her. It was a stupid thing to do I know. I just forgot to check to see if the light was on. She was looking in the mirror…" Melanie trails off and takes a deep breath. "She had her shirt lifted up and she was looking at her stomach. It was _covered_ with marks. There were yellow and purple bruises. She had slash marks and scars all over. It- it was awful." Melanie lets another tear run down her face. "She looked at me. Her eyes were so big and scared. They were red, so she was obviously crying a lot before. She ran out and locked the door before I could apologize. She didn't respond, and I think she went to bed."

"Okay. We can deal with that in the morning. If she is actually in bed and sleeping soundly, I don't want to interrupt. I have a feeling she might suffer from nightmares after everything that has happened to her." My father says in a professional tone.

I take a deep breath. "Dad, how bad do you think it was?" I don't want to know the answer. But I had to ask the question before I explode.

Dad pinches the bride of his nose and sighs. "Awful. Horrible. Cruel. Unimaginable. I can't think of a better way to describe it. She was obviously beaten, based on what Melanie saw. She was abused physically and mentally. I- I think she was abused sexually too." My heart stops.

"So, yo-you think she was… raped?" My mom stutters. My entire family can't comprehend how someone could do this. How someone could _survive _this. _Alone. _

Dad nods slowly. My fists clench, and my knuckles turn white. Mom and Melanie are staring, wide eyed. I can't speak.

"Those bastards! How could any man rape an innocent girl like Wanda?! They were her foster fathers god dammit!" Even though Wanda was scared of Kyle, I can tell that he cares about her.

"How often do you think this happened?" I don't realize I am speaking until I see everyone turn to look at me.

"I don't know. Based on her reaction to men, I think maybe once a week. Perhaps every day." My father looks just as pained as the rest of us.

"Why?! She didn't do anything. How could someone do that? Why did no one reach out to her? Why did people just ignore what was happening in those houses?" I try to calm down before I yell too loudly.

I hear a creak on the stairs and look up from my chair. No one is there, but I can hear the small footsteps and a door close. I glance around and see if my family noticed. They are too distraught to have heard. But I know Wanda must have been listening.

**Please follow, favorite, and review! If I get 10 reviews I will update on Monday or Tuesday :) Link to see Wanda's bathroom and the rest of the Stryder house is in my profile!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you for the reviews. I love you all.**

**Wanda**

I run up the stairs. I run away. I shut my door and throw myself on the bed.

Why was I so stupid? If I ever eavesdropped at my old homes I would have gotten the shit beat out of me. I wince as I think of my beatings. The belt, the whips, the fire, the knife, the chains, and so much more. It is all too much. I feel myself start to get dizzy and my vision blurs.

No! Hold on! I can't pass out again. Who knows if they heard me? It was just a little creak in the stairs. But they might be planning how to punish me right now. I can't pass out and put myself in a vulnerable position. This house is making me soft. I am bringing down my walls. I didn't even know I could do that. I build up my defenses since I was three, and know they are sky high and miles thick. Everyone has scars that they don't want to talk about. Mine are just on my body as wells as in my head. So why was I letting myself slip up? What is happening to me?

I can't trust these people. But why were they acting like they felt bad for me even though I wasn't there? Did they know I was listening and wanted me to think they cared? Because I don't. I understand why no one cares about me, because I don't care either. No matter how hard I try I always get hurt.

I pull one of my dull curls and wrap in round my finger tightly. Once my finger starts to turn red I pull away then start again. I am trying to not give in. I don't want to do it here. But I must. The memories are too strong.

_Get down the stairs bitch! Jack pushes me down the hard stairs and I barely stay conscious._

_Oh god. It is time for another "test"._

_I want to cry, but that will just make it worse. Jack drags me over to my usual chair and ties me up with spiky chains. Even if I breath the spikes cut into my wrists and bare ankles. _

"_Now, I have noticed your emotional stability has been off lately. You are too emotional. So I think we are going to test your emotions and see where we can improve." Jack smiles at me, his eyes burning with sick pleasure. I am his test rat. He has been doing these tests since I was four. I am now ten. He wants to make a perfect robot child by the time I am twelve. I know what I have to do. I can't react. But this test is always harder than the physical pain test. At least I know I will heal with the physical pain. This test always breaks me and makes me more unstable. _

"_Wanda, do you have any questions? About your family or anything? I talked to your social worker a few days ago and she found out a few more things about your family. Would you like to hear?"_

_I want to shake my head no, but I am forced to nod._

"_She told me that it was your fault. Your dad got your slutty mom pregnant so he had to marry her. He didn't want to. You took away both of their lives and dreams."_

_That can't be true. My parents weren't that young. But I don't know their ages for sure. The last time I saw them was when I was three. Tears run down my face._

"_Then they took you to the beach that day. They only did that because you were crying and they wanted to make you shut up. See, you were emotionally unstable then too. Anyways, they took you to the beach. You know what happens next. They left you in day care because they hated you. They didn't want to deal with you. They swam out. Then the rip tide came. It dragged the underwater. They couldn't breathe. They struggled to come up, but the water kept pushing them down. Sea weed wrapped around their ankle, tethering them to the ocean floor. They felt the last beat of their heart. Their eyes slowly drifted closed. And their last thought… it was that they were finally free. They didn't have to take care of you anymore. They were free from disgusting child that stole their life. They didn't have to watch you grow up into a selfish whore like you mother. They didn't have to watch you ruin your own life. Guess what else your social worker found? Adoption papers. They wanted to give you up anyway, then get a divorce and move on with their lives. They wanted to forget you ever happened."_

_I broke. Tears ran faster down my face and sobs choked me. The chains cut my arms and legs until they were unrecognizable. I scream. But what is the point of screaming out if no one gives a damn. _

_He smiles again and walks away, leaving me broken and bleeding._

I snap out of it. I quickly wipe away the tears. I decide that I can't hold off anymore. I walk into my bathroom and look around. There, sitting next to the shower is a wrapped up new razor. I smile blissfully and begin to take it apart professionally. Cutting is my only release.

One for mom.

One for dad.

One for Jack

One for David

One for Liam

One for the Stryders

And one for good luck.

I don't cut as deeply as I want, but I made more cuts than usual. I smile as the blood seeps out of the cut, the pain leaving my body with it. I make sure to not get any blood on the floor. I grab some toilet paper and hold it tightly until my wrist stops bleeding. I rinse the blood out of the sink then I crawl back into my bed for the third time tonight. This time I let the darkness takeover and the nightmares overwhelm me.

**So this chapter was short. But it is an extra and I might have a few tears in my eyes from writing this. If you ever need help with cutting, depression, or suicide thoughts please call 1-800-273-8255. They are open 24/7 and they CAN help! And if you ever want to talk please feel free to pm me or anything!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Wanda**

I jerk awake from my recurring nightmare. It always starts off with Jack torturing me, but then David and Liam show up. They all beat me. I wake up when I finally reach unconsciousness in the dream.

I look at my alarm clock next to my bed. It reads 5:00 in the morning. I roll out of the bed then walk over to my unnecessarily large closet. I look past all of the designer clothing and reach for a long sleeve cotton sweater and a pair of leggings. I reach for my mother's locket, take a deep breath, and then walk downstairs quietly.

Luckily, the stairs have no squeaky floorboards so I didn't have to worry about making a noise. I have gotten good at being silent over the years.

I walk into the kitchen then look around for everything I need. I decide on I will make pancakes and bacon so I start mixing the batter while the bacon fries on the stove. Once I finish breakfast I look at the clock. 5:30. I start my normal morning routine.

First, I mop the floors, and I clean the windows until I can't see any streaks. If I leave a streak I might get hit like my other homes. I start to dust next. I glance at the clock and start to hurry when I see that it is six. I don't know when the Stryders will wake up. I have to be done before they come down or I will get in trouble.

I try to do the laundry but I see most of it has already been done. That's weird. In my old homes I was the only one who did the laundry. I start to polish the silverware and dishes when I hear someone come down the stairs. I freeze. Oh God, I am not done yet! What if they get angry at me? I glance at the clock and see that it is already 6:45. I quickly set the table with the polished silverware and put out the pancakes and bacon. I pour some orange juice and put out some fruit.

I can hear that person walking into the kitchen. I go through a doorway into the living room, avoiding whoever woke up.

"Woah." I hear a deep voice say.

Oh no, it is a man! I can't tell if he is angry or happy with what I have done. Knowing my luck it is probably the former.

"Wanda?" I hear the voice whisper. It sounds like Ian.

I take a calming breath and peek my head around the corner. I look into the kitchen and my eyes settle on a big guy with black hair looking at me.

I jump back into the living room. Not Ian. Defiantly _not _Ian. It is his scarier, stronger brother, Kyle. He can easily pick me up with one hand and break me in a second. I vowed to stay as far away from him. I mean, duh! Murderer!

"Wanda, could you come out here please?" Kyle whispers again. He obviously wants to be quiet so no one in the house knows he is about to murder me. But if I scream, maybe everyone else will be angry I woke them up and they will come and murder me themselves.

If I go out there, he could kill me. But if I stay here, he might come in and kill me. I figure it is a lose- lose situation and I decide to do what he asks. This way, the punishment might be less severe.

I slowly creep around the corner and into the kitchen. I keep my eyes on Kyle while I see him looking at my shaking knees that are threatening to collapse. I look him over and see he is dressed like he is going to work out. He carries a bag on his shoulder that is big enough to fit me inside. Oh my, he is going to kill me then put my dead body in his gym back to hide the evidence.

Wow, I am very optimistic for my future this morning. I chuckle quietly at my inner sarcasm.

"Wanda, I am not going to hurt you. I will stay five feet away if you want. Hell, I will stand ten feet away if it will make you feel better. I just want to know if you made this breakfast."

I look at his nose, unable to reach his eyes. But he understands and leans against the wall on the other side of the room. I am grateful he understands that I want him as far away as possible.

"I'm s-sorry. Yes I made this breakfast. If you want anything else I will make it r-right away. Just tell me what you want and I will do it. I didn't eat anything thought, I- I swear! Just please don't punish me." I look at the floor.

"Wanda, my family and I will never punish you. We don't believe in any physical punishment. We understand you have had a… difficult life and we want to help you."

I don't believe him. But I don't say anything.

"I just wanted to thank you for this amazing breakfast. And I know the others will love it too."

I continue to look at the floor.

Kyle steps forward and my head snaps up, my eyes frantic. He instantly puts his hands up in surrender and steps back against the wall.

"Wanda, I appreciate the breakfast, but did you make it because _you _wanted to? Or did you think _we _wanted you to?

I don't respond, but I do look him in the eyes, giving him my answer.

"Wanda, this house isn't like your others. You only have to do things _you_ want. But I do still appreciate the breakfast."

I nod and quickly walk back up to my room. That was just too weird. I still don't trust anyone in this family, especially not Kyle.

**Ian**

I wake up and blink my eyes for a second. After glancing at my clock, I get out of my bed and go down stairs. It's almost time for breakfast. On the weekends my family likes to have breakfast together because mom says it makes us "closer". I would never admit it, but I actually like these family meals.

I look at Wanda's room and see that her door is still shut. I decide I won't wake her up and walk down the stairs quietly. The rest of the family must still be asleep. I start to think about Wanda, and I want to ask her if she was listening to my families conversation last night. But I don't want it to sound like I am angry or accusing her. I pass the living room and jump when I see Kyle. Oh right, he works out in the morning. All of this stuff with Wanda has made me a little out of it.

"Hey man." I greet him and start to walk into the kitchen. Why do I smell bacon if mom hasn't even woken up yet?

I enter the kitchen and look at the table confused. Kyle must sense my confusion because he follows me in.

"It was Wanda. She woke up before dawn and started cooking. I think she cleaned too. I mean, our house is usually clean, but have you ever seen the silverware polished and the carpet cleaned? She even got that blood spot out of the rug from that time when you and I were wrestling. Remember how you hit your head on the coffee table, and mom tried everything to get that stain out?

I nod my head tiredly and spin around to observe the rest of the house. I pause. "Wait. How did you know it was Wanda?"

"I asked her." Kyle says simply.

"You what?!" I start to yell in a whisper. "Kyle, she is terrified of you! Did she freak out? What if she had a panic attack?"

"Calm down bro. She did kind of freak out, but I think she was okay." Kyle didn't continue.

"Well, how did she freak out?

"Well first she hid, but then I asked her to come out. She sort of stared me down so I stood against the wall away from her. I asked her if she made the breakfast, and she said she did. She was worried I was angry, but I told her I was happy she did it. Then I asked her why she made breakfast and she said that's what she did at her old homes. I told her she didn't have to do that anymore if she didn't want to and she went back upstairs. That's all."

I take a deep breath after hearing Kyle's story. I guess it is good that she didn't freak out too much. But if she did, I am sure Kyle could calm her down. He did have a panic attack before.

"Well, should I go wake up everyone else for breakfast?" Kyle says casually.

"Sure. Do you think Wanda went back to bed? She told me not to wake up, but I think it would be nice if she ate the breakfast she made." I ask.

"I don't know. Just knock on her door quietly and tell her we are having breakfast. If she is awake, and wants to join, I guess she will come. Just let her do what makes her comfortable." I never thought Kyle could be so thoughtful. All he really cares about is football and his girlfriend, Jodi. Maybe Wanda will bring out the best in everyone.

**Okay bad ending but I wanted to update fast because I didn't update yesterday. Please follow, favorite, and review!**


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